GEM Magazine Issue 08

GEM

THE AMAZONS

The British indie rock group about their latest album and roots to their past

A CUT ABOVE THE REST

BILLIE MARTEN

A deep dive into the mystical world of the enchanting singer-songwriter

MAN-MADE SUNSHINE

The Nothing But Thieves lead vocalist about exploring his most honest self

Am I the only one who can’t quite believe that it’s already March, in the year 2023? Not to sound like a grandma, but I vividly remember how ten years ago, living in today’s day and age seemed impossibly far out of reach. But here we are, and, no matter how unbelievable it might be, spring is on its way too, and I have a feeling we’re in for a treat.

And speaking of treats, welcome to this fantastic new and eighth issue of GEM. As always, we’ve been working hard and tirelessly to catch the best live shows, find the most amazing new musical discoveries and get to know some of the best artists and bands out there, all for you. Because that’s what we’re all about and you reading this here right now tells us that you are, too.

For this issue, we put our feelers out in any direction we could find. The first magical voice we stumbled upon is the one that belongs to the British singer-songwriter Billie Marten, who invited us to a walk through her mystical discography and her upcoming record ‘Drop Cherries’. Next to her, we also had the honour of getting to sit down with the Reading-born rock band The Amazons, who, after their latest album release in 2022, are now looking forward to a summer on the road and stages across the world. And last but definitely not least, we met with Nothing But Thieves lead vocalist Conor Mason to talk through his soul-stirring solo-endeavour Man-Made Sunshine and all the groundbreaking revelations that came with it.

Of course, we also once more took a deep dive into the world of new risers and upcoming stars, and we couldn’t be more excited to officially introduce the Australian indie duo Royel Otis, who have already become a household name on any and all “ones to watch”-lists, the SpanishBritish singer Clara Hurtado, who has been making waves with her bilingual extravagance, and lastly, the reggae allrounders The Skints, who continuously redefine their musical melting pot of tropical punk.

Other than that, this issue is yet again packed with various song and album reviews of our favourite recent releases, captivating live reviews, a very special interview with the first fan The 1975 singer Matty Healy decided to bring on stage during their current tour, as well as exciting arts and culture write-ups and an exclusive piece on music photographer James Perou and his unique Polaroid project, written by the man himself. It’s an issue of discovery, heart and hunger for more that invites us all to use the time that we have to its fullest and go after our dreams and passions – and it’s with great pride that I get to share it with all of you. Because, after all, none of this would be possible without you - the readers, the music fans. It’s all of you that we share this incredible journey with, so I once again want to dedicate this very special issue to all of you. I truly hope you enjoy it. Let the blooming begin.

Laura Weingrill

founder and editor-in-chief

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Team:

Laura Weingrill, founder & editor-in-chief

Benns Borgese, staff writer

Ine Vanvuchelen, staff writer

Mason Meyers, staff writer

Issy Todd, staff writer

Vicky Madzak, staff writer

Raabia Haq, staff writer

Jana Fröhlich, guest writer

BILLIE MARTEN

ANEWERA

Written by Laura Weingrill

Photography by Katie Silvester

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Bright olive-green eyes, pale porcelain skin, cascades of blonde hair and the softest voice set only the slightest level above a whisper – perhaps in another universe, Billie Marten could have been a mystical wood fairy, serenading wild tree creatures with her heartfelt ballads. In this life, however, the stages of this world have become the garden of choice for the young British singer-songwriter and audiences all over the globe have been the ones she has put a spell on with her gentle, acoustic folk songs, as her expressive and sugary vocals wash over the ears. Since her discovery and the release of her first EP back in 2014, the enthralling artist has been taking her listeners on a journey through realms of wonder and enchantment. Now, the vocalist is working towards the metaphorical birth of her fourth full-length record, the magical ‘Drop Cherries’. Speckled with new instruments, Marten as a coproducer and a shift in direction, the album is set to add another pathway to the singer’s musical expedition. New beginnings are lingering in the air.

It’s been five long years since the Melbourne-based now indie five-piece Good Morning set foot on a stage in London. And even after the ups and downs brought to the world by Covid, the group didn’t have an easy start after their arrival in the UK. “He nearly died,”, tells frontman Liam Parsons to the crowd after pointing out bassist James MacLeod, who had been very ill the past days, for wearing his Homerton Hospital gown as a shirt. From thereon, MacLeod turned into a somewhat star of the show, a fun start to a light-hearted gig straight out of every indie kid‘s dream.

“If I could speak to my younger self, I would tell her to drop her shoulders. Back then, I just felt so kind of shocked, I wasn’t used to any of it. Suddenly, there’s this public image of you, all the pictures and videos and shoots and album covers and press things,”, the 23-year-old vocalist states, remembering the early beginnings of her career when Marten had just started to gain prominence after she uploaded videos of herself singing to YouTube and everything happened all at once very soon after that, right before her fifteenth birthday. “I think there’s a certain romanticism about a teenager not having a clear idea of themselves. You know, you have Facebook photo albums and one bedroom mirror that is smeared with makeup and dust. And then for me, it was very much like, this is who you are, and you’re going to look at your face and talk about yourself all the time. Which isn’t necessarily healthy for a young person to do. So, reflection is important. It’s such a backwards thing to say to anyone, but instead of looking at the whole wider picture, which is what you’re made to do early on, I should have focused on nice little lovely moments like making my first record or playing festivals and travelling the world. And music gives you terrible posture. I’m only 23, but I just feel so ancient.”

Founded by Stefan Blair and aforementioned Parsons, Good Morning have grown to the band they are now over the course of many high school years, excited EP and album releases and, after a long time of nothingness, unique live shows that feel more like watching a group of friends jam in a living room than anything else. There is a strong sense of happiness and carelessness in the air of Hackney’s Oslo, with the band standing around multiple instruments in a circle, always switching between them and never really settling for one.

No matter where you look, there are smiles all around, while the band trails through fan favourites like ‘Warned You’, ‘You’, and ‘$10’, while keeping up the joke of the travelling fedora, a hat that had been bought by the band the morning before the show and was handed from one member to the next throughout the night. Taking their trademark chilled indie-rock to London, it’s an enthusiastic chant of “one more song” by the crowd that draws the Australian quintet back to the stage for an encore of their beloved ‘Matthew Newton’. It’s then that Parsons jokes, “see you in another five years”, before the group takes their final steps off the stage, leaving behind an afterglow and a wish for more.

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Looking at the young singer, this might seem like a peculiar statement to make, but with nearly twelve years spent in the music industry resting on her back, Marten has already earned the title of a veteran when it comes to music. Over the years, the London-based artist has established herself in the industry, become more present, confident and deeply rooted in her ideas and morals, while her natural prowess of enchantment and loveliness have continued to grow. Three albums deep in her very accomplished career, and after the release of her milestone record ‘Flora Fauna’ in the midst of the pandemic in 2021 – an album that touched on a myriad of topics ranging from self-care to personal growth and all the way to discussions of women’s safety and religious faith – the singer has come to a place of ease and selfunderstanding. Something that has also turned into the driving force behind her upcoming album ‘Drop Cherries’, which is set to be released on the 7th of April and sees Marten lift the curtain on some parts of her life that had been safely tucked away until now. “The album is primarily about forms of love. I always thought of love and relationships to be no-go subjects because I was so young when I became a part of the industry, and I think that worked in my favour, as I decided to reveal things about myself through nature and my surroundings and environment. And those feelings were very much sadness and melancholy, and I love that people empathised with that. But this record is me trying to work from a place of positive feelings and the ultimate quest to find myself. I don’t feel like I have to try things to gain people’s interest or change my musical genre anymore,”, Marten describes, explaining the bewitchingly

“I would love to be perfect. I‘d love to be that thing that has reached perfection. But naturally, that will never happen. The moment I accepted that, all this weight on my shoulders and the fear of being who I wanted to be kind of lifted off.”

beautiful story behind the record’s mystifying title. “I needed something to encapsulate the relationship that I’m in right now. I was talking with a friend, and he was describing this relationship that never happened, but the love that they had was really strong and powerful. And it was just such a great love story. It’s a tale to be told for hours, but the gist of it is that this guy would do anything for her, despite them not being able to be together. She told him things like that she wanted to lay in a bath of silvery water and stamp blood-red cherries onto a cream carpet. And I heard that phrase and instantly thought, well, that’s what this album is. I like the act of love being a gift rather than something that you receive. So, in some way, it’s less about me, but everything still is.”

An ode to the arguably best feeling in the world, Marten’s fourth upcoming long-player has already been receiving waves of praise from both the fans and her peers, with the effervescent ‘This Is How We Move’, ‘Nothing But Mine’ and the freshly released ‘I Can’t Get My Head Around You’ offering a first taste of what is to come. Exploring a more complex instrumentation with the new addition of a band, and marrying enchanting piano melodies with warm and grounding acoustic guitar strumming patterns, the songs shine bright with a new finish from Marten, while still maintaining the singer’s usual sincerity and gentle air. Imbued with a sense of dazzle and wonder, they seem to have the power to make even the most mundane moments feel like something out of a fairy tale – something the artist was even more involved in as the co-producer of the record, next to Dom Monks, who she crafted the album with during sessions taking place in Somerset and Wales late last summer. “It’s funny, I’ve always had a deep hand in recording as it’s my favourite part of music, but, unfortunately, I think I sometimes let other people do jobs that I could have done myself, especially male producers. In my early days, I just felt like I didn’t have a voice there, which is

ironic because that’s the whole point. But it was very different with this album and with Dom, my engineer and producer,”, the singer-songwriter retells, jokingly recounting the evening she proposed the idea of ‘Drop Cherries’ to Monks. “I remember having taken him out for dinner, and I said, “how would you feel about co-producing with me?”. And he started out with this long answer where I thought he was going to say no, like, “this is my record, and I‘m the producer and you’re the artist”. And then, after all that, he sucked the whole speech off, and just went “yes”.”

Recorded solely on tape to give it that special grounded feel, the musical endeavour is yet again another step closer to all the things that matter the most to Marten and that certain sense of realness and authenticity that has become rather hard to find these days. It is something that can also be seen in her music videos for this new chapter, which exclusively consist of behind-the-scenes clips from the production days of the record and thus offer a unique glimpse into the enchanting world of the songstress’ creative process. “It’s all very simple, very hand-to-mouth. You know, I didn’t think anything through very much. The album mainly consists of first or second takes, it’s all live, it’s all on tape. Because that’s how easy and wonderful it can be. You often hear about all those bands who go into the studio for another six weeks, having these gruelling sessions and working late into the night. I don’t really like doing that. I believe you have three or four hours of actual productivity in a day and the rest you need to feed yourself and exercise and be outside and stop talking for a bit. I just wanted to show people what happened.”

Marten, in many ways, seems astoundingly self-aware and at ease with herself, upheld by nature’s gentleness and its peace and quiet as well as her wry sense of humour and continuous observations of her own self and her surroundings. The 23-year-old has spent most

“This record is me trying to work from a place of positive feelings and the ultimate quest to find myself. I don‘t feel like I have to try things to gain people’s interest or change my musical genre anymore.”

of her career and life getting to know herself and all the things she loves and hates, which hasn’t always been an easy task, especially while working in an industry that often tends to push and shape people based on the expectations and needs of others. “I always like to say I don’t believe in perfect, I’m just happy bumbling along. But that’s complete bollocks. Like, I would love to be perfect. I’d love to be that thing that has reached perfection. But naturally, that will never happen,”, the singer exclaims and recalls a series of struggles she encountered while growing up in the public eye and under the glaring looks of strangers who all suddenly seemed to have an opinion about her and the many ways she was supposed to function. “I think we’re bred to be squashed and moulded into whatever shape fits society, and I always felt like my shape never really fit that. It’s funny, the moment I accepted that, all this weight on my shoulders and the fear of being who I wanted to be kind of lifted off. And even just in rehearsals now, I notice that I’m nowhere near as quiet because I always got told that it was my fault for singing too quietly. We had to buy all sorts of specific microphones and work on these live techniques to get me to be louder, with people asking me why I didn’t just get vocal coach lessons. But that’s not me at all. So now we’ve got this album that’s formed around my voice instead.”

It comes as no surprise that Marten doesn’t shy away from asking the big questions in life, it almost feels like it is part of her very nature, which, if you listen closely enough, also weaves itself through her evocative storytelling and enchanting discography. Even her quoting famous scholar and philosopher Alan Watts in the middle of a conversation seems like the most natural act, like something that is simply part of who the young performer is, in all her greatness and introspection. “He’s this really cool philosopher dude, and he said this: “belief clings but faith lets go”. And I take that as faith is like having the unadulterated, profound feeling of trusting everything and trusting yourself and other people. And belief is trying to believe in God or Santa or that you’ll always be okay in the end. And you’re clinging to this thing, aka perfectionism, that you’ll never be able to hold on to, whereas faith is shedding all of that and sitting with yourself and taking each day as it comes and just trusting the process,”, the singer elucidates, while once more going back to the simplicity of life she has come to love and appreciate and also

work into her current sonic environment. “I know the more I talk, the worse I’m sounding, but I just really like the idea of letting things go. So, if the people you’re hanging around with aren’t supposed to be with you, just let them go. If you’re in a bad relationship and you know it, let it go. If you’re not doing the right job, not in the right country, not the right house, let it go. We’re nesting creatures, we want our environment to be the right one, and I think we always know what that is.”

With the release of her imminent fourth record looming over her, Marten seems to have at last learned to stop thinking about what others want to hear and finally started to trust her own instincts. Creating this metaphor for offering someone your love and going out of your way to please them, the 13-track strong collection of melodious musings and unadulterated romantics sits proudly amongst the rest of her releases. Whether she is singing about love, loss, or the mysteries of the universe, Marten has found her own unique way of making her listeners feel like they are part of something special, something that transcends the ordinary. And while ‘Drop Cherries’ sees the singer-songwriter turn the page to a new phase in her musical wanderings, it is also a return to the things that truly matter the most in the artist’s life – the stuff that can turn the regular everyday into magical fairy-tale material. “It’s very simple to keep me happy or for me to exist in my little life as me. I just need nature, a nice plant next to me, some really good music, from the seventies, probably, something made out of wood, and a nice dog. Like, if I see one of those during the day, I literally come home and go, “I saw this great dog”, or, “I saw this beautiful field”. I think humans are so simple. And I’ve spent most of my life analysing and digging and digging and digging for the answers. And in reality, it’s just kind of like what I was saying in my song ‘Garden of Eden’ –we’re all just these organic beings that need light, food, water, and endorphins. I mean, I’m boiling it down to the mundane here, but it’s all about making these tiny, little, incremental choices that affect your life for the better. And I think we do have a really strong radar for that, but we ignore it all the time. So, I’m almost in a meditative state of going back to what I know and love. And for me, it’s nature, music, love, animals. That’s it.”

T HEAMAZON S

It’s been almost six months since the release of The Amazons’ highly anticipated third studio album ‘How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me’? (or ‘HWIKIHWFM’, as we will now refer to it to save the finger ache). And in that time, the Reading-born, now Brighton-based, rock outfit has toured the world and lost their drummer Joe to retirement, shrinking the band to a three-piece. But that didn’t stop the group from hitting the road once more, and after almost a year of planning, cancellations and rescheduling, there I am, a Portsmouth football fan in enemy territory, sitting on the steps of the Guildhall in Southampton, nervously clock-watching and waiting for an interview with my favourite band.

Written by Mason Meyers Photography by Ed Cooke

As I am on the phone with their tour manager, receiving the news that the interview would be held up further (an idea that terrified me after the slew of push-backs I had already encountered) due to the band sound-checking, three of the then still four members of the band walk out to say hello to fans that have been patiently waiting outside to later claim their well-deserved spots at the barrier. However, as the mildmannered British boy that I am, with confrontation not being part of my nature, I decide to waddle to the nearest pub to calm my nerves and wait for the right moment to come around. And before I know it, there I am, backstage in a dreary side room, sitting face to face with my rock and roll idol and frontman of the band, Matt Thomson.

I am bravely dressed in my band shirt, something I had deliberated about wearing for the entire month prior - would it make me seem too much like a fanboy? Especially with Thomson donning a blue corduroy shirt and a low-cut white vest, just barely hiding his silver chain, I feel a bit nervous. But then, “nice t-shirt,” I hear as soon as I unzip my jacket. “Thank you, if you like that you should see this!” I roll up my sleeve to show him a tattoo I had recently had engraved on my wrist of the art of their second album ‘Future Dust’. Can’t get much more fanboy than that. “Wow, that’s so cool. Can I take a picture to show the boys?”, Thomson replies, already whipping his phone out of his pocket to take a photograph of my permanent sign of admiration for the group.

I briskly move the conversation on as I am aware of the band’s tight schedule. Even though by this point in their career, it seems like not much can phase them anymore, which Thomson quickly confirms, stating that nerves are merely a distant memory for him. Still, I am interested to know what does make the rock star nervous, even after all this time. “Our show at the Théâtre Antique de Vienne in France was definitely a pinch-me moment. Not because of the size or the cultural importance, but because it’s one of the really amazing support slots that we’ve had. We definitely find that the more characterful venues live longer in the memory. There are a lot of purpose-built boxes out there, but I love the stuff that has been adapted for music. Also like the Southampton Guildhall, which isn’t like many venues across the UK, so for that reason, we will always remember this one,”, Thomson reflects, hinting at the gig that would be happening just a few hours later.

And funnily enough, it appears that this, what I think of as a rather mundane opening question, sticks with the frontman, as he later retells the conversation on stage as he sings the praises of the venue. Despite the band’s rise in popularity over the past few years, their humbleness has always shone brightly, with the singer never failing to seem earnest. From meeting fans before the show to performing an unknown track upon the request of their fandom on the online platform Discord, the trio has kept their boots firmly on the ground and still has a great admiration

“The idea that there were people coming to ourgigs th a t weren’t our mates was just such a big moment.”

for their loyal fans. And despite their success, Thomson can’t help but get a bit nostalgic, reminiscing about their earlier shows and remembering faces in the crowds from years past. “There was one show at the Purple Turtle in Reading in the first year of us gigging. It was quite empty, but there were a few people at the front that we didn’t recognise and they were singing our songs, and that was like, “guys, we might be onto something here”. The idea that there were people coming to our gigs that weren’t our mates was just such a big moment.”

Their humble beginnings in Reading is something that the now three-piece also shares with fellow contemporaries Sundara Karma and SG Lewis, who, according to all parties included, have already spent the odd night out together in their earlier days - spinning vague yarns of messy gatherings on the tiles of Berkshire’s biggest music city. I need more info, but Thomson, professional as always, sticks to a comment of “no comment” and gives me a knowing look, with his tour manager laughing in the background.

Despite leaving out the juicy details of their (what we can only assume crazy) benders, Thomson reflects on the beginnings of trailblazing a music scene in an often culturally underwhelming city. “Us and Sundara Karma were putting on our own nights and we would step in as each other’s supports. We had a gig called “Two Step”, named after ‘Two Steps Twice’ by Foals. They broke a little bit before us, then SG Lewis, then us and it was like, “oh my god”. But that’s the thing, it happens with other bands like Peace, the scene is already gone by the time you hear of them. It was a really good time either way.”

It has been half a decade since the release of the band’s second outing ‘Future Dust’, an album that was greeted with a rather divisive release, so with the mood noticeably lighter, we delve into the reception of the record. “I feel like it was a really important album for us to make in our own journey as a band, just to work some things out. It was quite a dark time for me, so I’m happy to be out of that. That was the album we learnt the most from. But I think with first records, there’s not that much learning, you just put everything you’ve got down on paper,”, the vocalist explains, further going into the challenging creation of their second long-player. “It’s an album that had a deadline, so it definitely felt rushed. I think we only spent three weeks tracking it.” “But can you hear this when you listen to it?”, I follow up. “Absolutely, and I knew it when we were making it, and I knew it when we released it.”

This begs the question of whether it was still the same with their latest release or not. “This is the album where we had the time and space to work it out. We had two years of writing and eight weeks of tracking and that offered us so much more depth, both lyrically and sonically. When I think of ‘Future Dust’, it’s got quite a limited colour palette, we’re probably only working with three or four colours if you use that as an analogy for guitar tones and drum sounds. But with this new album, for example, ‘One By One’, ‘Are You Ready?’ and ‘Blood Rush’ all have wildly different colours.”

Thomson’s distaste for their older music confuses me slightly, after all, they have been closing their shows with ‘Black Magic’ for almost a decade now. Even with a huge change to the setlist and the decision to remove many of their older songs, they still choose to close on that song. So does he still consider it one of their best? “No, it’s definitely not our best song. And it is out of our control that it’s our most listened-to track because the way the algorithm works on Spotify, any piece that does well is rewarded. It’s great that people listen to it, but it’s definitely not our best.” “So what is your best song?”, I ask. Thomson laughs. “Ha! Good question. There are a couple of songs that we are working on at the moment that I think are really damn good.”

As the quickly moving arms on my watch catch my gaze and the interview begins to run over time (and with a queue of other journalists waiting outside), the question of their musical influences brings the conversation to a close. “You went on tour with Royal Blood earlier in 2022, so the effects of this can be heard in the breakdown for ‘Ready For Something”. Would you say this is a fair assumption?” “Yeah, I mean it is pretty Royal Bloodsounding, and we were indeed touring with them. I feel like we, more than anyone, are allowed to nick their sound a little bit on a couple of songs,”, Thomson states confidently, before pausing to think for a second and then adding, “Why would you want every band to be completely unrelated? It’s important to be original, but you can’t not be influenced by each other. Just look at all the bands in the 60s and 70s.”

I respond with a contemplative hum and just like that, my time with the singer is over. A selfie, a Christmas greeting on video for my best friend and a hug later I am on my way out of the venue to call half of my contacts list to tell them about my evening, regardless of their interest in my life. They say never meet your heroes, but all in all, meeting one of mine went pretty great.

ALBUM REVIEWS

Since their emergence, Irish rockers Inhaler have been a staple in the British indie scene. Now, the group has returned with their second record ‘Cuts & Bruises’ which follows along the established path of their soundscape but feels more refined and crafted for global stardom. While the opening song ‘Just To Keep You Satisfied’ marks a strong start to the album, the previously released singles ‘Love Will Get You There’, ‘These Are The Days’, and ‘If You’re Gonna Break My Heart’ have successfully settled themselves in the group’s discography thanks to their typical catchy Inhaler indie rock hooks. But the perhaps most imposing track of all is the grand ‘The Things I Do’, featuring bellowing violins and glimmering guitars, which offer a new sound to the band’s musical vault. In a world where being put into defining boxes has become something to be avoided, the Dublin-born and bred band is more than happy to stick with what they know and do best. Easily approachable and fun in all the best places, their second record stands proud as a thoroughly enjoyable collection of indie rock hits that will push the band to even greater heights.

Written by Jamina Roobrouck

PARAMORE - THIS IS WHY

Paramore have always been a band to take the reality they’re living in and translate it into rock-infused, addictive pop-punk hits that speak to millions of people. Nearly two decades after their debut, the group has returned with their newest long-player ‘This Is Why’, a poignant, all-too-true view on what living in the 21st century feels like, with all its ups and downs. From the electrifying title track, which sees singer Hayley Williams walk through all the reasons why staying at home might just be a better option, to the fun ‘Running Out Of Time’ - a textbook anthem for notorious latecomers - and over to ‘Figure 8’, which sounds and feels quintessentially Paramore-esque and flickers with the fun altpoppy traces from its stellar predecessor ‘After Laughter’, the group’s sixth record glistens as a fun musical rollercoaster ride. Tying it all together with the arguably stand-out hit on the album ‘Thick Skull’, the alt-pop masters have finally arrived at a place of relief. One, where even after being put through the wringer multiple times, they have evolved into one of the most widely-respected acts of their generation and a band that can do one thing best – age gracefully and with ease.

Written by Laura Weingrill

Growing up and growing older are universal experiences. Accepting the changes and consequences that will inevitably follow raises a decisive question: what will you do with all the emotions and newfound knowledge about yourself and life? In her debut album ‘Good Riddance’, American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams explores what it feels like to part with the sides of you that you are no longer fond of. Crafted with the help of her friend and collaborator Aaron Dessner – renowned for his work as part of the rock band The National – the record plays like pages out of Abrams’ journal, brought to life by Dessner’s brilliant production. Introduced to the public through the singles ‘Difficult’ and ‘Where do we go now?’, the songs encapsulate the core themes of the album. Across its twelve tracks, Abrams navigates through heartbreak, healing, moving away from home, and everything you could expect from a classic coming-of-age blockbuster, one that by the end, once you hit the 52-minute-mark, leaves you with a feeling of both nostalgia and closure. And as stated by the singer herself in the record’s closing line, “I feel like myself right now”, and it shows.

Written by Benns Borgese

INHALER - CUTS & BRUISES

GRACIE ABRAMS - GOOD RIDDANCE

TYCHO JONES - RISK TO MY REWARD

Fuelled by the thrill of the chase and of taking risks to grow and move forward in life, Tycho Jones’ bouncy new single ‘Risk to my Reward’ sees the rising artist move back into the musical limelight and return with a first taster of their upcoming EP. Seamlessly following the London-based newcomer’s discography of hopeful alt-pop and electrifying beats, the track is a testament to Jones’ talents and features the addition of a band which provides an ensemble of stunning percussion, earthy basslines and addictive rock-tinged guitars.

by Laura Weingrill

HALSEY - DIE 4 ME

While the original version of ‘Die For Me’ is a song by Post Malone that only featured Future and Halsey, listeners soon agreed that the singer and her verse stole the spotlight in a heartbeat. Now, after many live performances and fans begging for the release of a full song for years, Halsey’s version of the bouncy track has finally been brought to life. Depicting themes of heartbreak, not the sad but the bitter and angry kind, the hit features lyrics that couldn’t be more relatable and invite to be screamed at a live show.

ANNA GRAVES - EASY FOR YOU

A first taste of rising indie artist Anna Graves’ upcoming EP ‘GHOSTLAND’, ‘Easy For You’ is a stripped-back reflection on the outcome of Graves’ past relationship. Whilst the candidness of the lyrics combined with the understated production gives the song a sense of intimacy, the lightness of Graves’ voice contrasts with a sense of darkness that sheers over the track like a thin veil. In a sense, ‘Easy For You’ carries the honesty of a conversation between two close friends held by the dim light of a bonfire late at night.

MYKEY - SLUGGER

After a year-long break from music, LA-based singer-songwriter MyKey, aka Mikey Ambrosino, has been blessing his fanbase with a steady flux of stellar releases, the latest being the effervescent ‘Slugger’. Carried by an addictive electric guitar and Ambrosino’s sublime layered vocals, the track is indie goodness at its best and already stands proudly as not just a fan-favourite but a highlight for the young artist, also thanks to the accompanying completely self-produced animated music video.

BOYISH - GIRLS ARE MEAN

by Benns Borgese

by Laura Weingrill

Honest and exquisite, Boyish’s newest single ‘Girls Are Mean’ sees the Los Angeles-viaBrooklyn duo unveil the reality behind the self-deprecating thoughts we all share about feeling inadequate in the face of today’s hyper-visible world. Consisting of singer India Shore and guitarist Claire Altendahl, the dreamy indie group has made a name for themselves thanks to their candid, straightforward songwriting, inspired by past memories and deepest emotions. And this release is yet one more hit to add to their imposing discography.

HIPPO CAMPUS - KICK IN THE TEETH

by Vicky Madzak by Laura Weingrill

by Laura Weingrill

Indie heavyweights Hippo Campus are exploring their Wild West side in their newly released single ‘Kick In The Teeth’, a soft, acoustic guitar-based song that sees the fivepiece tap their toes into the vast waters of country music and offer a sugary, honest ode to a lover. Embedded in lead singer Jake Luppen’s honey-sweet vocals, the track is a first taster of the band’s upcoming EP ‘Wasteland’, which is set to be unleashed on April 14 and to further solidify the group as absolute giants in the scene.

MUSIC

LIVE REVIEWS

The 1975 live in London

Written by Vicky Madzak / photography by Samuel Bradley

Imagine you enter a concert venue and walk into what could easily look like a business meeting for under-30year-olds or a new type of very well-dressed cult. What might seem strange to others, was, in fact, The 1975’s sold-out two-day residency at London’s famous O2 Arena – and it was anything but a business meeting.

The set started with songs from their most recent record ‘Being Funny In A Foreign Language’, which had everyone scream out the lyrics word for word — even casual listeners who weren’t dressed in suits. It was a show of many highlights, with their heartfelt song ‘About You’ featuring guitarist Adam Hann’s wife, Carly HoltHann, performing live on stage as a guest, and global pop phenomenon Taylor Swift making an appearance to perform her recent single ‘Anti-Hero’ for the very first time, and a cover of one of the band’s most famous songs, ‘The City’, causing screams, tears and general disbelief.

The stage, impressively built to look and function like a real house, stood out as one of the main features and underlined the concert’s structure to portray a theatre play. And then the lights started to dim, a sudden shift lingering in the air. Only Healy was left on the stage, with his fellow band members having said goodbye before quite literally walking out of the door. Soft instrumentals set in as the beloved singer made himself comfortable on the stage’s living room’s sofa, a cigarette in one hand and touching himself with the other as the violins in the

background started to heighten. A surreal moment, that also got accentuated by the artist chewing on a piece of raw meat, kneeling in front of a row of TVs, and hyping himself (and the crowd) up by doing push-ups and, finally, crawling into the TV as the lights went black - welcoming the second part of the show, filled with their greatest hits.

Naturally, The 1975 have always been known to love interacting with their crowd. Healy, as so often, handed it over to their adoring fans to decide parts of the setlist, this time either the sweet ‘Paris’ or the smooth ‘A Change Of Heart’. But obviously, you can hardly have an actual discussion in the middle of a show in front of 20.000 people, so screams were used to decide, as it was revealed that the production team was measuring the decibels in the arena for each song. And while democracy and ‘A Change Of Heart’ won for the first night, dictatorship held on strong during the second, as Healy laughed, “I’m a tyrant”.

The show then ended with two of their most upbeat and well-known songs on their discography, ‘The Sound’ and ‘Give Yourself A Try’, allowing the audience once more to experience the band at their very best and sending them off with exuberant melodies stuck in their heads. 2023, as Healy mentioned throughout the concert, marks ten years since the band’s first studio release, and there remains one thing about The 1975 – they just keep getting better.

Tom Rosenthal live in London Ezra Collective live in London

Written by Laura Weingrill / photography by Tommy Field

Nowadays, there are all kinds of live shows. There are the serene, calm ones, the bouncy, electrifying ones and the ones that have the crowds screaming unlike ever before. And then, in the middle of it all, sits Tom Rosenthal. Just like the artist’s multi-layered, eclectic discography, his concerts can feel rather out of this world and strain against being put into certain boxes. They fit nowhere and everywhere at the same time and that’s exactly what makes them so special. And his concert at London’s KOKO was no exception.

Surrounded by massive flowers and sat at his piano with the throw that has been attached to it for years, Rosenthal’s show started exactly as fans would expect it to – as quirky as possible. Accompanied by long-time collaborators Maddie Ashman (cello, keyboard, and voice) and Ash (guitar and voice), there was an instant homely and familylike feel to the evening, including cheese-related jokes as entertainment during the breaks.

Having made a name for himself thanks to his variably sad or intensely ecstatic songs (food-related, only featuring fivesyllable words, some in French just for fun), the show starred the best of the best from Rosenthal’s magical musical vault – from his least streamed track up to an early preview of an unreleased hit. Swinging swiftly between popular hightempo tunes and the more classic, instrumental pieces, the emotions in the room were kept at a full high all evening and got the one or other dance out of the excited crowd.

Ending the show dressed in a watermelon costume and with the hit number ‘Flourishing’, Rosenthal proved once more that he is a force to be reckoned with and as unique of a performer as can be. Filling the sold-out room with happy tunes and laughter from the crowd, it was a night that will hardly ever be forgotten, if even just for the “booping” (see: new dance routine).

Written by Raabia Haq / photography by Aliyah Otchere

London jazz quintet Ezra Collective took over the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith with their dancefloor-destroying show, leaving everyone in a state of ecstasy. Creating music that is a monumental celebration of jazz fused with afrobeat, reggae and hip-hop, the group radiated pure love and joy for the crowd. The show started with two spotlights shining onto the circle stalls in a dramatic fashion, where trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi and tenor saxophonist James Mollison stood, bursting into their hit song Ego Killah. Once they joined the band on stage, the party started.

With incredible chemistry and synchronicity between the members, jazz improv got taken to a whole new level, with Femi Koleoso playfully moving across the stage whilst playing smooth basslines and keyboardist Joe ArmonJones’ choppy piano riffs. You couldn’t help but move to the music; they maintained a characteristically upbeat tempo throughout the show, creating a carnival-like atmosphere. Halfway through, the band introduced the renowned Emile Sandé to the stage as they performed ‘Siesta’ from their latest album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’. The band seamlessly transitioned between songs, regularly making sure everyone was having a good time, even bringing their instruments into the audience as they were surrounded by a thrilled crowd. Towards the end of the performance, the band even welcoming a 20-piece brass group, allowing everyone to have their moment to shine.

The five-piece brought such sincerity and authenticity to the show, speaking about current social-political issues and the struggles of becoming successful artists, as Koleoso heart-warmingly said: “Ezra Collective is a product of the people.” Closing the show with their hit ‘São Paulo’, the group encouraged the crowd to dance like no one was watching and made sure that the Ezra Collective family grew bigger and stronger as they produced a landmark jazz concert like no other.

JAMES PEROU

and his polaroids of folk that make music

If I’m honest, writing a freeform article on my photography series always seemed like a daunting thing. I am definitely not a writer. And it reminds me a little too much of trying to write coursework for GCSE art. However, I want to turn this series into a full book someday, so I was going to have to come up with some vaguely professional copy of my own at some point anyways. I can always plagiarise myself later on.

I think it’s fair to say I’ve got a long-term addiction to Polaroid film. I’m a self-taught photographer who started to take it vaguely seriously while studying engineering at university, shooting gigs in the evenings for the student paper, and then carried on my deep dive into live music once I had returned to London, balancing it with my day job.

Following a brief hangout in Paris with Blood Red Shoes in 2007, I fell in love with the Polaroid format, stole my sister’s Polaroid 670AF Supercolor, and started shooting everything with it. As I was always trying to do portraits of bands I was working with at their shows, it was inevitable that the streams would eventually cross. The first entries for the “Polaroids Of Folk That Make Music” project were taken on the 14th of December 2007 of the excellent We Are Scientists at the now demolished Earls Court 2, which was acting as the backstage area for the now equally demolished Earls Court 1 when they supported Kaiser Chiefs there.

The initial casual shots became a project gradually, over time, as I started taking portraits of other bands I was working with and through my in-house photography work for Banquet Records in Kingston Upon Thames. The project title is a work-in-progress placeholder that has stuck around for over a decade now; I’d seen a segment of “The Play What I Wrote” and liked how the title flowed.

All was going well until February 8, 2008, when Polaroid (under the control of Petters Group Worldwide) announced that the company had decided to gradually cease production and withdraw from analogue instant film products completely in the same year. All remaining film packs from that original production now have a “use before” date of August 2009 at the latest. But I decided I would run the project until the last functioning film was used or had become unusable. I honestly didn’t think it would take another 14 years, but now we’re here at the end; the developing fluid within the frames has all dried out. Whilst some of the last packs will still produce a kind of image, it is too poor to use (and too embarrassing to shoot with).

The series format is simple: one polaroid per person per project. So some particularly productive artists are in the series numerous times. The current record is three entries and shared by a number of individuals, including Frank Turner, Joey Cape, Joe Goddard, and James Smith of Yard Act. A benefit of the format is it doesn’t take very long to carry out the shoot, which I think has endeared me to many press reps, tour managers, and bands in the midst of their heavy press schedules. Currently, the project stands at 3050 individual polaroids - I’ve lost count of how many bands are contained within that number.

Apart from “stand in front of that wall please”, I don’t give any directions. I often get asked by the musicians whether I want them smiling, serious, etc., but one of the principles of the series is to present everyone equally (and try to avoid gimmicks), so I much prefer to see how they react in front of the camera on their own. Some people are far more relaxed with it than others, and it’s not always who I would expect. I find it fascinating how many artists are more uncomfortable in front of a lens than a crowd, and I love when people take the

initiative, as this leads to the more entertaining shots in the series. Two favourites in the series are the joyful Dead Sara guitarist Siouxsie Medley, and Harry Koisser from Peace, who is the only person to ask for an upside-down Polaroid, which I still absolutely love.

The limit of taking a single shot each can be tricky, as sometimes the capture goes awry, and I might not end up with the photo I want. I will always rue the day I missed the shot of Jeff Goldblum staring straight down the lens by a millisecond. Each subject has a veto so that they are happy with how they are presented, but I’ve tried to make that their choice rather than mine. The project has forced me to try and accept what is, rather than what I envision things to be, although I will admit to having done some reshoots when I feel like I haven’t captured a particular person’s presence.

Another challenge is determining what constitutes a band for each entry. Lineups change, some groups are fixed collectives, whilst others may be session or touring musicians formed around a central artist. My approach is to photograph whoever is presented to me as “the band” on the day of the shoot, and I try to not make any later amendments. However, this changes when I’m not able to have access to the full band for reasons of schedule, illness, or elusiveness, in which case I try and collect each member over time. For example, it took almost twelve years to get all of the members of The Specials, the last entry being the much-missed Terry Hall.

In retrospect, this has been a pretty masochistic undertaking for someone who is quite particular, occasionally inept, overthinks pretty much everything, and can be anxious about meeting “cool” people. However, I’d not swap it for anything, and looking back through the shots always triggers good memories: Vanilla Ice talking about fame and how he now spends his days flipping houses, Be Your Own Pet’s super sweaty last show at Dingwalls (until the recent reunion), Big Narstie holding court in his dressing room cabin at Leeds Festival, the buzz of Hayley Williams complimenting my work, or Nile Rogers backstage at Glastonbury being exactly the absolute legend you’d hope he would be.

People often ask me about my most memorable experiences, to which I usually like to retell the story of my most extreme shoot - an attempt to include the Californian superhero band The Aquabats, involving

a no-accommodation, no-sleep 36-hour round trip to Groezrock Festival in Belgium, staying backstage till kick-out time at 3 am and walking the 10km back to the local train station in time for the trek home.

Like many creative things I’ve done in my life, it’s only once I’ve done the fun thing that I’ve had to go back and come up with a reasonably artistic-sounding basis for my work beyond “it was fun” (which would make for a much shorter article). Having to create a brief to send out to band reps made me properly think about why I love the format of both the film and the project. I like how each Polaroid becomes a unique artefact when taken; you can take the same shot of the same thing in the same way, but the result will always be two separate physical exposures. There is no negative or digital file to print from; there will never be another copy of the photo you have in your hand - and that makes it all a little bit more special.

Over the years, I’ve found many people have a similar soft spot for Polaroids, which has led to a lot of lovely conversations whilst on shoots; recollections of family history and wonderfully nerdy interests, like talking through Gary Numan’s history of Polaroid uses whilst backstage at the Roundhouse in Camden and discussions about the particulars of the film with Alex Turner prior to The Last Shadow Puppets playing at Alexandra Palace. In general, people seem to be more at ease having their photo taken with it than a regular camera, though I find it interesting just how many artists are far more uncomfortable in front of a lens than an audience.

Now that the film is finally dead, I’m currently finishing the long, arduous task of admin (that I should have done during Covid), to re-digitise the entire collection, and start shopping it around publishers for a book and an exhibition to support it. Originally, that was going to be it, finish the series and move on to other things. But the replacement 600 film originally developed by the Impossible Project (now rebranded as the new Polaroid) has reached a pretty decent state of development, and quite frankly, this is all just a bit too much fun to stop. So, if anyone has any band recommendations, I’ll be starting with “Stage Two” soon…

Written by James Perou

Photography by James Perou

THEMANLOOKING FORHIS S U N

What does it mean to be really happy? And where does this utter happiness, the kind that makes you and everything around you glow like never before, come from? A place from within ourselves or actually that new fancy thing for us to go and show off? These are only a few of the questions Man-Made Sunshine, better known as Conor Mason, singer of the famously sought-after altrock group Nothing But Thieves, asked himself when he went on a journey to not only find his own happiness, but rather a version of himself that he seemed to have lost in a whirlwind of commercial success, global stardom and masses of enamoured fans. What he found, however, weren’t just final rays of warmth shining through the cracks of ice his surroundings had become. More so, it was a beautiful and painstakingly honest musical project and EP that led him to share a lot more of himself with the world than many others would ever dare to.

Clasping the sun in his arms, set in the vastness of space and surrounded by an abundance of glimmering stars – that is how we see Conor Mason on the cover of his debut self-titled EP as the solo powerhouse Man-Made Sunshine. Futuristic and modern, yet familiar and comforting, it is a design that would naturally look good hung up on someone’s bedroom wall, but as with the five tracks adorning the record, there is more to the cover than what first meets the eye. “The project was inspired by a poem by W. H. Auden, in which he says that he wants to dismantle the moon and pack up the sun because he doesn’t need them anymore. And for me, it is the opposite, I really need them,”, the singer explains. “I really want them. So I decided I’m going to build my own sun, I’m going to man-make it.” Born was Man-Made Sunshine, a project designed to serve Mason as a path of solitary healing and a release of all the things he couldn’t and wouldn’t control any longer.

But before there even was a name, let alone an EP, it was one emotionally heavy day spent at a barbecue with his band that birthed what would once become ‘Little Bird’, the heartfelt stunner ballad of the record. Ridden by a devastating depression but also a wish to not spoil the joyful get-together, Mason sought some silence and calm – a sudden change in pace that not only led to the first lines of ‘Little Bird’ being written, but also to the understanding that something had to change, as the artist remembers: “The song is so about depression, about keeping that thing controlled and underneath the surface. It’s funny because a lot of people think it’s this ridiculously hopeful message about freeing yourself, which it is. But also, the little bird is insanely sinister, where you don’t really know what’s going to happen

when you finally decide to let it out. When you suppress something for so long, it can just come out in so many wild ways. And that’s why the last lyric is, “are you ever coming out?”. Because at that point in my life, when I was writing that song, I was like, “nope, that’s staying there”.”

Thankfully, what did come out in the end was a ravishing explosion of emotions, colours, sounds, profound vulnerability and Mr. Sunshine himself on what would find its way to his many fans’ ears a few years down the line in the form of his five-track strong debut. Unabashedly creating from a place within himself, with a perfectionistic eye and never settling for anything but the utmost sentiment and that special warmth, Mason put as much of himself on the plate as he could. But what could easily be seen as risky or scary – as sharing your own truth and the fullness of yourself with this sometimes cruel, judging world often can be – felt simply natural to the talented artist – and like the only possible way forward. “When I say it more poetically, I kind of soul-bonded with all of the songs, essentially. I worked really, really hard to make sure that every second from start to finish affected me and made me feel something. I didn’t want to let any stone come unturned. And I think it’s really easy to do that when you’re under pressure in this industry,”, the Essex-born musician tells while shining a light on the production process and his belief that sometimes the first shot at something might just be the best one. “A lot of the EP is actually my demo stems and the way they made me feel when I was first creating them. Because when you’re first emitting a song into the world, you’re birthing it and you connect with it so purely that you want to leave it in that way sometimes. It was lovely to have that freedom to just

pour my soul into every second of them musically, lyrically, vocally, melodically, everything. Every single nuance of the EP is so purely whatever I am made of, whether people like it or not.”

Unsurprisingly, the solo endeavour sparked an abundance of support from family, friends, his Nothing But Thieves crew and management, and, once the official announcement had hit the airwaves, also from the excited fandom. As Mason retells, it’s what gave him the needed push and vigour to turn what at first had just been standouts of his musical vault into a complete affair, merch and upcoming, but yet unannounced live shows included – which, by the way, are guaranteed to be ones you won’t want to miss out on, as the singer teases: “I want to create a sort of art within these shows. I’ll have a band with me. Avi Barath, who I worked with on most of the EP, is going to be my music director and my pianist and we’ve got some other people as well. I want to create an atmosphere and make theatre in a sense of connecting. I’ll talk about everything within the breaks of the songs and then describe what we’re going to go into. It’ll be magical.”

With the path ahead planned out to the tee, there was only one more thing to do – release all of it into the world. After a more than successful first taste with the heartfelt ‘Life’s Gonna Kill You (If You Let It)’, a tale about the dark places we sometimes get pushed to and the strength to hold on to the light, there wasn’t really any question of whether the EP would be welcomed with open arms. But listening to its five emotionally stirring and astonishingly bold and honest tracks, one specific song has hit almost too close to home for many listeners, and also Mason himself – the brutally beautiful ‘Big’. A lofty-sounding but gut-wrenchingly dark chronicle about a time when his father was suicidal and the back then very young musician had to pick up the remaining pieces of his youth that had come to a sudden halt. As the most hardhitting song of the bunch, it allowed Mason to finally face something that he had long pushed away, but he wasn’t the only person involved: “That was the only one that was hard to navigate, because there’s someone else included in it. For me, it’s easy to talk about the ramifications of the trauma that it left me with and how I felt. That switch, the role reversal, the trying to grow up immediately, overnight. But I had to have a conversation with my dad. I thought it was really important for us to spread the message on mental health, especially with men his age, and he agreed. When I first played the song to him, he pulled over in the car and started sobbing. Our relationship is so close because I had to switch and become his parent for a while. And it stayed the same. Obviously, he’s still my dad, but you change.” Turning the project into an even more personal sonic adventure, Mason’s yearning to grow and reflect during the isolating pandemic had him stand face to face with all his unprocessed emotions and memories he knew he had to confront and work through to come to terms with himself, as he states: “I trapped what

“MUSIC, FOR ME, IS MY SOUL’S REFLECTION WHEN I’M CREATING IT AND MY SOUL’S CONNECTION WHEN I’M SHARING AND THEN LISTENING TO IT.”

happened for years and that caused me so many issues. I don’t blame anyone or myself, I was young. The way I thought I had to deal with it was to trap it. And it manifested. But you get to a point when you realise you need to do the work on it or it will stay that way. So what I believe with this song, and the way I talk about it, is, be honest, because it will stay trapped and you will only suffer. Whatever pops up now, I do the work on it or accept it. I go over the motions of it. I let it be.”

From within the haunting depths of isolation, it was therapy and a lot of self-work on self-love and mindfulness that finally helped Mason reconnect with a fuller, more honest version of himself, one free of the past and open for what is to come. Well, that, and how could it be any different for an artist, the creative expression in form of music. In reality, Man-Made Sunshine was never really meant to exist outside Mason’s audio-visual sphere, but once the songs had been created, the now London-based vocalist understood that he had stumbled upon something very special. He felt it underneath his skin, one might say, as he exclaims: “Music, for me, is my soul’s reflection when I’m creating it, and my soul’s connection when I’m sharing and then listening to it. It’s so important, it’s the purest, most visceral form of art immediacy we have. And I believe with this EP, if I can be that raw and honest with myself, someone else somewhere will hopefully relate to and connect with it because they feel similar things.”

That connectedness, a bond that has already proven to be strong enough to extend around the whole planet, has also been what has for Mason proven to him that releasing the project had been the right thing to do from the start. Taking a look at his recently resuscitated Twitter profile, it becomes clear

very quickly how the young artist was able to create a safe space for not only himself, but rather for a whole community of people who had only been waiting for such a place of communal healing and solace. But next to countless speckles of praise from the fans, it is also Mason’s continuous interactions with his dedicated audience that add yet another level of goodness to the project, despite the singer’s constant dissonance with social media and its many dark sides: “I hate the word business, but that’s what this project is and I’ve got to keep it alive, and the best way to do that is via social media. It’s tough because I don’t like it, the poisonous side of it, what it does to people. The devil you know is greater than the one you don’t. But it also clearly works for getting your art out there and for connecting with the right people. So I’ve naturally wanted to make an effort to reply to the fans and to connect with what they want to say because it’s part of a story and of bringing the project to life.” After jumping off the Twitter-train at the end of 2020 and suddenly reappearing with a joyful “Hello Twitter” in September last year to set the fanbase ablaze, it’s never been much of a secret that Mason, as well as many of his Nothing But Thieves confidantes aren’t the biggest fans of today’s uber-digitalisation and those small screens our eyes are locked on for probably way too long every day. A theme that has long woven itself through the rock band’s stellar discography, and has now also found a new home in Man-Made Sunshine’s musical repertoire, as the serene, but haunting ‘Brain In A Jar’ retells. Inspired by the very Matrix-y ideology that we’re all just brains in jars on shelves being fed the same information and fake realities, it’s a song about an awakening and sees Mason gaze through the haze of today’s society. And, naturally, social media has long been part of the fog, as lyrics utter, “And I don’t think, so therefore I’m alive / I’ve been surfin’ on a simulated silver surfboard / Tell me this ain’t where I’ve lived my life”. But what seems to be so fully nestled in darkness, also features a surprisingly heartfelt reference to Mason’s childhood, as he elucidates: “That line is about surfing the web, but it was also a nod to a thing that my dad and I shared growing up, which is this Marvel comic hero called The Silver Surfer. Basically, I was describing things that we label ourselves as and we think we are, the things we own and think we have ownership over.”

“EVERY SINGLE NUANCE OF THE EP IS SO PURELY WHATEVER I AM MADE OF, WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE IT OR NOT.”

Staying within the realms of the world of entertainment, Mason also took inspiration from the cult-classic Citizen Kane, Orson Welles’ epic tale of a publishing tycoon’s rise and fall, for the closer of his enthralling EP. Featuring lyrics like, “And how can I get out of the cold / When that’s all that’s left of you now? / How can I get out of the cold / While clinging to my shivering soul?”, the rip-roaring ‘Rosebud’ revolves around the end of the singer’s last relationship and the realisation of having to let that person go, no matter how much it may hurt. “In Citizen Kane, his rosebud is the sledge that he had growing up and his memory that he’s held on to. For me, the song was me trying to find and grow a new one from a cold, tough, but loving, obviously at a time, relationship. And me trying to leave that frozen ground,”, Mason explains, while continuing, “I was so connected to this person and that frozenness was the only thing I had left. So I’m getting over it, wanting to free myself and grow that rosebud, but that means I have to let this person go fully and let her fall. Which is a tough decision to make, but you’ve got to do it to move forward.”

Whilst being settled in the depths of lockdown and having just moved to Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, it was specifically Mother Nature that helped Mason deal with his past and channel his personal demons into the sublime solo endeavour we can all listen to today. “The lyrical content and the whole project were very influenced by the fact that I could be alone and just be with nature. I would find a patch of grass on a hill in Leigh, and see where I grew up on my own. I would just sit there all day, and listen to music and write and be in the sun and then go and jump in the water,”, the Nothing But Thieves frontman remembers fondly. However, in the middle of it all, the artist was pulled back to the busy city life in the Big Smoke, but that didn’t stop him from taking that patch of grass with him. “When I got to London, I needed something familiar. I needed to be in a similar place to where I was in Leigh, with all the sun and the sand and the grass and water. I needed to find a version of that in London, to carry on that journey of being in nature and how important it is to me.” Going over the motions of his released five tracks and specifically the visual elements of his “Sunshine Project”, the sonics and natural elements immediately suck you in and welcome you to the meticulously crafted palette that draws pictures of lofty walks in the woods, long nights and the sun melting the ice around you. In a nutshell, it’s like you’re stepping into Mason’s world and the life he’s been living while feeling like you’re earning and learning so much for your own.

Creating a whirlwind rollercoaster of an EP, laden with vulnerable yet powerful musical magic, the all-round sonic sorcerer has used the past couple of years to come to terms with himself and offer the world a new side of himself under the name of Man-Made Sunshine. Digging deep into the

emotional turmoil of his past and moving through waves of self-discovery, inner growth, and honest vulnerability, the five-track tale sees Mason hand the listener a piece of his very soul, in the hopes of connecting to people who may just be looking for a place of calm and frequencies to tune in to. But above all, the project is about nobody else than Mason and his own way to happiness and peace. And, in the very end, it only begs for one question to be answered –are you able to make your own sun or does it have to come to you? “You can definitely man-make your sunshine. I almost feel like I have to set a declaration before I speak because these are all my views of what’s healed me and is helping me. I am not a therapist with all the answers. But, I definitely feel like it can be a choice. I was in a state where the things you do, the things you are, the labels you put on yourself, the things you buy, you consume, the man-made ones, the consumerism – that was my identity. I am Conor, big singer of a big band, I have these things, I paste over the cracks with this stuff. And I know it was all wrong, we all do. Your inner child is constantly niggling at you, that’s why you feel empty and lonely. Because you’ve disregarded your true self and your true feelings by being very, very, very overly masculine and locked up. But I’m not talking about genders, I’m only talking about energies. I believe there’s a masculine and feminine energy, and we need both symbiotically to work and thrive. And I pushed away what came naturally to me growing up, which was my feminine energy, my kind of love, my empathy, and my sensitivity. So, for me, bringing that back, and choosing acceptance and love and happiness each day by day, that’s how I found healing.”

Written by Laura Weingrill

Photography by Lewis Vorn

LET'S GET CULTURAL

THE WHALE

Written by Laura Weingrill

Heartbreaking and soul-mending at the same time, Darren Aronofsky’s latest outing, ‘The Whale’, champions a psychological drama at its finest and has the watcher follow an intimate character study of Charlie, an isolated, obese teacher yearning to make things right with his daughter.

Starring the ever-so-enthralling Brendan Fraser – ‘The Whale’ being his major movie comeback – the film wanders the dark hallways of Charlie’s lonesome apartment and consistently tears at your heartstrings during its twohour-long runtime. Telling the story of a heartbroken creative writing professor who, after the sudden death of his partner, has fallen into an all-consuming compulsive eating disorder which is slowly but surely claiming his life, the audience gets to live through a week of Charlie’s destructive existence while he tries to make peace with his estranged teenage daughter before it is too late.

Despite its dismal storyline, the film shines brightly thanks to not only Brendan Fraser’s stellar performance, who can be seen at his possibly best of his career as he showcases a devastating portrayal of a man consumed by guilt, depression and self-loathing, but also a superb Hong Chau, as Liz, Charlie’s friend and sister of his belated partner, a formidable Samantha Morton as Charlie’s exwife, another incredible act by Ty Simpkins as a young missionary from an end-of-days Christian cult, and lastly the stunning depiction of hurt and angry teenage daughter Ellie, unforgivingly played by Sadie Sink.

Circling the theme of a whale and an essay about Herman Melville’s ‘Moby-Dick’, the movie stands as one major empathy test. Despite his mistakes and what the audience sees, Charlie, as well as all the other characters aren’t just written in black and white. Honest, heartbreaking and compassionate at the same time, ‘The Whale’ tells a tale of people and relationships that are complex, flawed, complicated, loving, and funny – and exactly that makes them fully and radiantly human.

CINEMA THERAPY on YouTube HELL BENT by Leigh Bardugo

Written by Laura Weingrill Written by Jana Fröhlich

Cinema Therapy – the latest gem on YouTube – is a delight for film and psychology fans alike, or anyone looking for some wholesome content to warm their hearts or get their minds running. Started in 2020 by filmmaker Alan Seawright and licensed therapist Jonathan Decker, the channel features the duo, who also happen to be best friends, analyse movies together through each of their expert lenses – one talks about the cinematics that lend themselves to emotional storytelling while the other discusses the mental health elements of it all. An intriguing mix that led to the channel becoming a global hit basically overnight.

Initially, the down-to-earth duo (whom their fans jokingly and lovingly refer to as the internet dads) met as roommates in college in 2005 and bonded over their love of cinema. More than a decade down the line, Decker got their idea for the channel and felt confident that Seawright would be the perfect co-host and second piece to the puzzle, and not long after that, Cinema Therapy was born. Since then, the two friends have continuously been providing their ever-growing fanbase with exciting content, from deep dives into the Twilight Universe, a closer look into Marvel bromances, all the way to family structures à la Harry Potter and the reasons why ‘Love Actually’ might actually not be that lovely. Thankfully, there are still more than enough movies for the pair to talk about, and with mental health being more important than ever, the therapeutic element of their work will (hopefully) continue to delight people’s lives and souls.

‘Hell Bent’ comes as Leigh Bardugo’s highly anticipated sequel to ‘Ninth House’. Bardugo has already secured a spot as one of today’s most popular young adult fantasy authors with her Grishaverse franchise which has even been adapted into the Netflix show ‘Shadow and Bones’. With the urban fantasy ‘Ninth House’, she first ventured into darker, more mature adult topics and was met with great success. But does Hell Bent live up to the expectations after waiting over three years for the sequel?

The book picks up a few months after we left the heroine Alex Stern in ‘Ninth House’, but ‘Hell Bent’ sidelines the dark academia themes and heavy focus on Yale’s secret occult societies in favour of our unlikely ragtag crew - Alex, Dawes, Turner, Mercy and Tripp - and their supernatural heist to save Darlington from Hell. Against what one would expect from a sequel, Bardugo takes the exceptional world she crafted in ‘Ninth House’ and makes it smaller. The reader gets to spend much more time familiarising themselves with key locations and the other characters, who often came up short in the first part of the trilogy. But at its core, the message of the series remains very much the same: even in a world where magic is real, it is nothing like what we were promised as children and is instead a prop for the elitist, patriarchal and racist institutions that run the world.

So, while ‘Hell Bent’ is seemingly quite different from ‘Ninth House’, it is by no means disappointing. All I can say is, I hope we do not have to wait another three years for the final instalment of the series.

ROYEL OTIS

Written by Laura Weingrill

Photography by Royel Otis

Sydney-based dream-pop pair Royel Otis have slowly but surely become a household name in the indie music scene. Founded by friends Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddel, the dazzling duo was birthed after the latter returned to Australia after living in New York for a short while and found himself working at a bar, where he met Pavlovic, who had just finished school. Since then, the duo has released multiple EPs and singles and gained a devoted following and critical acclaim from fans and industry insiders alike thanks to their unique sound and electrifying live shows.

“My name is Royel, and his name is Otis. We didn’t have to think on it for too long,”, laughs guitarist Maddel, already offering a taste of the humorous and laidback nature of the two-piece band. Since their emergence and despite their current upsurge within the world of indie music, it seems that the duo hasn’t lost track of their infectious energy and fun-loving attitude. And that in itself already sets them apart from many, as Maddel adds: “We don’t necessarily try to stand out, but I think how much fun we have translates. I feel like a lot of bands have forgotten to have fun.”

The story of the rising band started four years ago, with a couple of demos getting sent from vocalist Pavlovic to Maddel, who had, up until then, only ever spoken briefly when meeting at bars or gigs. But what started just as an initial idea of interest, quickly grew into the collaboration of their lives, and now, a few years down the line, the duo has found themselves working towards their third EP ‘Sofa Kings’, which is set to be released on the 31st of March, and travelling around the world to share their eclectic sound with the enamoured audiences found

away from the land down under. Excitedly enough, even a slot at this year’s Reading and Leeds festival has already been confirmed (definitely one to not miss out on). So, at this point, do the two friends look back on their path with the confidence of knowing they would have always ended up where they are now? “Not at all, but the eels in our local park make their way to New Caledonia every year, so stranger things have happened,”, Maddel rather cryptically explains, before deciding upon a very unique way of describing their sound to someone who has never heard of them before. “Frank Spencer in nice trousers with pyjama tops.”

Looking at the duo’s eclectic discography, it is apparent that they draw their inspiration from a variety of sources, including their personal experiences and the music they grew up listening to. Take their so-far biggest hit, the addictive ‘Oysters In My Pocket’, which has by now become almost impossible not to stumble upon while shuffling through indie playlists on Spotify, and which has been greeted with massive outbursts of fan-love ever since its release. Speaking about the inspiration behind the track, the group has previously stated in their trademark humour that the song is their way of “showing appreciation to the bivalve molluscs that put some boost in our juice and some fire in the libido. Each one is as unique as our very own fingertips. Heck, don’t pass up an opportunity when you come across these suckers. Stuff them in your pockets and be the life of any party. Influenced by the yearning for a more lavish life than we can afford, and maybe The Jam. Live any life you like, just don’t spell Royel Otis without Oysters. You just can’t. Give it a shot.”.

But all jokes aside and underneath the electrifying indie pop numbers that are primed for streaming playlists, there

is a lot of sincerity and authenticity to be found within the band’s music to give everything just the right balance. Only recently, the newly released ‘Sofa King’, the title track off their forthcoming third EP which will also feature the much-beloved singles ‘I Wanna Dance With You’ and ‘Kool Aid’, stuns with a soft acoustic guitar and a bright and summery vibe. Accompanied by a video that sees the duo perform the song against the backdrop of a coastal cliff, it pays homage to their hometown of Sydney and reconnects them once more to their roots.

Above all, it is the love and close relation to music that initially brought the Australian band together – and it is also what has captured the hearts of indie lovers all over the globe. “To me, music is an expression of insecurity with confidence in a place of comfort,”, guitarist Maddel retells while touching upon the meaning and importance of music in his life, whether that be in a professional or private setting. Thanks to the band’s deep level of

commitment to creating songs that are enjoyable and light, but never lacking in meaning or emotional depth, they have already been able to set themselves apart from their peers and give them the necessary push to the wave of a breakthrough the two friends are currently riding on.

Looking at all the exciting things that 2023 has got in store for them, the two-piece is looking forward to a calendar packed with touring, for example as the support of the world-famous Alt-J on their Australian tour, as well as a heap of festival appearances. And with their upcoming EP waiting just around the corner, it seems that the future of the two best mates could not be any brighter. But no matter how crazy life gets, they know they will always have each other – and their carefree attitude, just as their plan ahead concludes: “More shows, more shots, more lows, more shoes, and more news.”

CLARA HURTADO

Written by Raabia Haq

Photography by Amadeusz Misiak

Madrid-born Clara Hurtado has been creating a pathway through the music industry over the past few years, shining through as a British-Spanish artist who is constantly redefining herself. From playing live shows on The Voice in 2017 to performing at festivals and venues across England, Hurtado is a budding musician whose authenticity, femininity and fierce drive is turning everyone’s heads.

Born to a singer-songwriter mother from Birmingham and a jazz drummer father from Madrid, music has always been a part of Clara. Always striving to connect to the Spanish culture she left behind, the artist has been working hard to uphold the freedom to express all the different sides to her. From singing along to Carlos Santana’s salsarock guitar to being captivated by Beyoncé’s runs and riffs, Hurtado has marvellously blended her Spanish and British roots in her style and is dedicated to continuously trying to find herself. After meeting with producer Raf Riley in early 2020, she has since been releasing genredefying music that explores themes of love, heartbreak and self-empowerment. Working together on multiple tracks alongside DJ RLo over the past year, Clara states: “It’s magical that I‘ve found someone who understands me and can bring out what I want musically. Raf and I are completely in tune with each other.” Her hit single ‘Perdóname’ explores the struggles of a relationship that is hanging on by a thread, and the ugly sides of yourself it can force you to recognise. Carried by a highlyaddictive beat with sultry Spanish vocals, it’s paired with a quintessential British garage style, reflecting her connection to both cultures and her diversity as an artist.

As of now, the enthralling bilingual singer has performed at the Jazz Cafe in Camden, the infamous Great Escape Festival in Brighton and the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, where she supported Latin pop sensation Nathy Peluso.

Warming into a performance is Hurtado’s favourite thing about being on stage, as she states: “There are so many intrusive thoughts before going on stage, so I‘m usually on autopilot. Shifting from that to savouring the moment is an incredible feeling that just fills you with confidence. I like to be sexy on stage and I can’t wait for my personality to shine through more.” A path that has already been laid, as her enticing moves paired with her talents continue to allure listeners to what more she can bring to the stage.

Looking through the artist’s discography, there is a spotlight on Hurtado’s vulnerability and diversity. Tying in themes of sensual femininity with dark melancholy, the listener gets to experience her sincere harnessing of self-love and empowerment. Her newest project ‘Chill’ comes as a neo-soul song produced by Little George that encompasses the notion of self-love, to take a step back and give yourself a break from the constant demands of everyday life. So when a bad day comes around, Hurtado allows herself to feel every motion of it, as she has learnt self-empowerment through heartbreak: “The more uncomfortable moments come our way, the better. The part of you that knows better will guide and calm you. It’s good to bring gratefulness to your everyday life - I like to celebrate everything, big and small.”

With an EP due to be released later this year, Hurtado hopes to eventually tour and further grow as a performer. This is just the beginning of her becoming a rising sensation; we journey with Clara as she continues to connect to hearts all around the world with her authenticity and raw talent.

THE SKINTS

Written by Raabia Haq

Photo by Doug Elliott

An eclectic and bouncy four-piece band emerged from London, The Skints are notoriously known in the UK underground punk scene. With soul-stirring vocals and politically charged lyrics, they deliver a multi-faceted fusion of reggae, ska, punk and grime in the highest of spirits. They have ignited festival and theatre stages with their music around the world, creating rigorously infectious music that everyone can find enjoyment in.

The band was founded by Marcia Richards, Joshua Waters Rudge, Jamie Kyriakides and Jonathan Doyle at school in 2007 and they have since created a huge name for themselves in the industry. From playing in school music rooms together to dominating stages, the band has been relentlessly touring for over a decade. “We were just the alternative kids at school, and we used to hang out in the music rooms; everyone had their interests to bring to the table.” From playing in local pubs across London to playing immense shows at Slam Dunk Festival and Boomtown, the band have risen to fame within the UK reggae and punk scene. They each have independent, evolving tastes in music that they fuse and put through The Skints’ filter, thus creating the amalgamation that is their sound. Their first album ‘Live, Breathe, Build, Believe’ was released in 2010, a mashup of punk and reggae that comes across as a multicultural musical bazaar. They have since released three other albums that exude the creative hunger that The Skints seem to naturally embody.

their usual reggae and ska style. The album debuted at number 1 on the Reggae Billboard Charts, featuring Grammy-nominated vocalist Protoje, Runkus and Jesse Royal. On the other hand, Jamaican culture is also vital to The Skints’ sound and bears a lot of meaning to the band: “Reggae music is all about playing with feeling. You’ve got to give respect to the history of music, you’ve got to give meaning, give authenticity.” It’s no secret that the band knows what kind of message they want to reflect, involving social-political issues such as Brexit in their song ‘The Island’. “Like punk music, reggae is very antiestablishment, it’s all about togetherness and standing up for the people. Reggae and dub are just so bombastic and experimental, it’s a very sincere and genuine kind of music - playing it is just so rewarding.”

Known for only making “one album” licensing deals with independent record companies, creative freedom and fluidity are vital to the quartet; they unapologetically stand for the idea that artists should have the rights to their own music. Their latest album ‘Swimming Lessons’ has more range than any of their previous releases before, as it focuses more on punk influences but still features

As has already been teased, we can expect a lot more music to come from The Skints this year, with more collaborations and smaller projects in the works. They hope to have headline tours in the future and to keep touring as they have done for the past decade. Additionally, the four-piece has just toured the UK with Gentleman’s Dub Club, a reggae dub band that has been operating in the same circle as The Skints for years. And we already cannot wait to catch more vibrant live experiences from them as they continue to redefine their musical melting pot of soul-stirring tropical punk.

GEMS

Kissing Matty Healy

“My life is a fanfiction,”, says 24-year-old The 1975 fangirl Isabella Alfie – the “chosen one” for lead singer Matty Healy at the band’s concert in Las Vegas on November 11th, 2022. “So, what happened was, there was a girl with me in the pit who had a sign that said, “Play ‘Girls’, it’s my birthday”, and Matty saw it and jokingly said something along the lines of, “No, sorry, can’t do that but I can make out with you guys”, and I was just like, “okay, noted”. I tried to catch his attention throughout the concert multiple times and I just knew I needed to do something different, so I went on Snapchat on my phone and put “So we making out?” in bold letters and held it up in between songs when it got dark and he could see it in the crowd. He came up to me and asked what my sign said, then proceeded to ask if I know the song ‘Robbers’, which of course I do, so he told me to “Come here” – and when I tell you I jumped the barricade so fast with no hesitation, no one even helped me, I did it myself!”, Alfie remembers and laughs.

“Once I got up there, security told me to just sit on the couch and Matty asked for my name. He kneeled down in front of me and said, “We don’t have to snog if you don’t want to”, and I said, “Oh yes, we are”, and he asked again if I was sure and I insisted and just kept nodding and smiling.” What happened after that is history – and visible on countless videos and TikToks that went viral all over social media right after that evening. Matty Healy kissed a fan on stage. “I was in disbelief,”, Alfie continues to explain, “I honestly was the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve been in love with him and this band for so long, so it just was a full-circle moment for me. I’ve been going to their shows since 2014 and I haven’t missed one in my city since.”

Little did she know that what happened that night would be a massive throwback to everyone who has been a fan of the band since their early days, and a way of them playing into the 2014 Tumblr nostalgia, which has become a viral trend last year. In that year, The 1975 was just an upcoming band with the members being in their early 20s, making songs about love, drugs, fake friends and everything else the average angsty teens who spent most of their time on the social media platform could relate to. During that period, the band toured significantly smaller venues for a significantly smaller fandom and took their time to meet and talk to said fans outside, before or after their shows. Frontman Healy made a habit of jumping into the crowds during gigs to take

photos and videos with and for fans, building an intimate connection with the audience. And once in a while, pictures of him kissing fans during the song ‘Robbers’ would spread online, with online users longing to be as lucky as that night’s chosen fangirl. After that tour, the band, the venues and the fandom got bigger and Healy was in and out of relationships and rehab – the last thing on anyone’s mind was the fact he might potentially kiss a fan on stage again.

Fast forward to 2022: The 1975 are the biggest and most successful they have ever been, with Healy himself being the healthiest he has probably ever felt since being in the public eye, and die-hard fans are still longing for the kind of intimacy that made them fall in love with

the band in the first place. As the resurgence of the 2014 Tumblr aesthetic made its way across multiple social networks – with staple fashion pieces like the white American Apparel tennis skirt, fishnets and Dr. Martens boots becoming trendy again and leading musicians of that era making a comeback and releasing new music –Healy himself mentioned in multiple interviews that he likes the idea of bringing that era back and becoming a leading figure for it once again. And so do most fans, who are now in their early or mid-20s and finally feel confident enough to embrace what they like, without having to risk getting bullied in school.

However, outsiders have a lot to say about Healy bringing back the trend of rock stars kissing fans on stage, which is fairly understandable. To them, it’s a grown man in a position of power taking advantage of a young girl who he knows would do (almost) everything for him in a heartbeat. It takes them back to Elvis making out with clearly underaged girls in the audience and bands like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones, who ultimately made “groupies” a thing by not shying away from taking fangirls into their hotel rooms after their shows. Abusing one’s power and young girls should never be glorified, but there is a significant difference between Healy and his former pop colleagues – for example, security or Healy himself have asked for IDs before allowing “chosen ones” on stage in the first place. And Alfie (like all the people Healy kissed after) is not only a grown woman but has also given her consent, multiple times. Healy might be attacked for his controversial statements and political expressions every other week, but his relationship with fans for once has never been perceived as creepy or abusive.

When Alfie is asked whether she was faced with any negative backlash following the infamous kiss, she states that, so far, she hasn’t received any hate comments, or at least she hasn’t seen them, and that most people have been very encouraging and happy for her. Quite the opposite, as she quickly gained 4k followers on Twitter and 7k followers on TikTok after her encounter with Healy, with the video of her kiss with the singer currently hitting 2.5 million views. Alfie has also been the subject of four interviews and has been featured in articles in TMZ, Daily Mail, The Sun, and Washington Post and mentioned in numerous podcasts. “It sucks to see people hate on him but I understand that it looks kind of weird, but also, they don’t know the band, so it’s not like they would really understand anyways,”, she says and makes a good point, which again could be argued to be “deluded” or “brainwashed” because she has been a fangirl for such a long time but sometimes, it’s just not that deep. Sometimes people just don’t get it. Sometimes you should just be happy for someone else’s experience, without trying to tell them how to feel just because it makes you feel a certain way. And sometimes a kiss is just a kiss. An intimate moment between two people. Even if it’s shared with your idol and makes headlines.

Written by Vicky Madzak

Photography by Samuel Bradley

WHERE THE FUN STUFF HAPPENS

BILLIE MARTEN

Inspired by the enchanting Billie Marten and her love for nature and everything green, we’re reconnecting with our beautiful Mother Earth and all the gifts she offers us for this issue. And what recipe could be better for this than a bowl of flavourful, delicious Green Goddess Salad, which is not only vegan but also full of healthy veggies to keep your body and soul nurtured and happy.

All that is needed for this are basic chopping skills and a food processor or blender. Simply finely dice or chop up all of the vegetables and toss them in a large bowl. For the dressing, add lemon juice, olive oil, rice vinegar, shallot, basil leaves, spinach, nutritional yeast, walnuts, and salt into a blender and mix everything until it’s smooth and creamy. Add the dressing to the bowl with the diced vegetables and mix well. That’s it. The salad is delicious to enjoy on its own, but is also a fantastic addition to tacos, as a side with protein, or scooped up with tortilla chips.

Ingredients for the salad:

1 small cabbage or iceberg lettuce, finely diced

3 to 4 small Persian cucumbers, finely diced

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

1/4 cup of chives, finely sliced

Ingredients for the dressing: juice of 2 lemons

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 cloves of garlic

1 small shallot

1 cup of fresh basil

1 cup of spinach

1/3 cup of nutritional yeast

1/4 cup of walnuts

1 tsp salt

ART OF THE MOMENT

Written by Laura Weingrill Photography by Anna Cebular & Florian Lierzer

Anna Cebular is an Austrian multidisciplinary artist and designer working with porcelain, stoneware, and metal and comes from a family-run gate-making and blacksmithing background, designing special production gates. After doing her A levels in ceramic design in Austria, she moved to London to do her Master’s degree in Design Ceramics at Central Saint Martins and has since then been paving her way in the UK capital: “I currently work for the well-known ceramicist Tortus and teach his six-week-courses. However, I never have just one goal and I’m always open to making bigger sculptures, public art or some other fun projects.”

Anna is also working on her own designs, combining metal and clay – just like her final project at university was a ceramic gate, a statement art piece that incorporated her two professions of being a gate maker and ceramicist. Looking at her work, it becomes clear how human interference with the natural environment is a dominant theme: “I like to be experimental and always want to explore something new, sort of the threshold where you go through and start something. More specifically, I’m dealing with the creation of life at the moment, a step before the start of life.”

Since her move to the UK in 2019, Anna’s focus has been to be “rich in experience” in different fields and to get to know the facets of the art and design industry better. So far, she has exhibited her artworks at various places in London, New York and the Netherlands and has explored different pathways of exhibiting her art in galleries, in more commercial ways, working for architects, luxury objects and yachts, for design exhibitions and collectors, or participating in a project with the community of Birmingham. Transitioning from being a gate maker and ceramicist to moving into the world of clay again, Anna has successfully paved her way in the industry and is now looking at another very promising year in the ceramic realm.